3 replies to this topic

[dragon49]

This has been happening intermittently for a few months.  After I backup all the photos I want to keep, I use the camera menu to format the card, however, that text is displayed differently, as if something is wrong, and the option isn't available.  The camera is behaving as if I write protected the SD card, which I never do.  Power cycling the camera does not fix the issue, but If I take out the battery and re-insert it, I am always then able to format the card.  

What the heck is going on here, and is this something I need to worry about?

[Merco_61]

Are you sure that you don't wiggle the card a little when you insert it? If the lock switch is even a little bit over towards the lock side, it can read as locked. removing the battery in the shared compartment of a Coolpix can reseat the card, changing the state to fully open. This happens now and then when I use a well-used card in either of my Zfc bodies. I just remove the card, push the lock switch fully open and continue shooting with the reseated card.

[dragon49]

Are you sure that you don't wiggle the card a little when you insert it? If the lock switch is even a little bit over towards the lock side, it can read as locked. removing the battery in the shared compartment of a Coolpix can reseat the card, changing the state to fully open. This happens now and then when I use a well-used card in either of my Zfc bodies. I just remove the card, push the lock switch fully open and continue shooting with the reseated card.

Makes sense.  I'll be careful when re-inserting the card in the future.  I'll write back in a few weeks to (hopefully) confirm this is a permanent fix.

[Ellinor William]

It sounds like there may be a connection issue between the SD card and the camera, which is preventing the camera from recognizing the card properly. When you remove the battery and re-insert it, this might be resetting the camera's internal connections, allowing it to recognize the card once again.

One thing you can try is to clean the contacts on the SD card with a soft, dry cloth. Sometimes dirt or dust can accumulate on the contacts, which can interfere with the connection. Read on this How to Fix "SD Card won’t format" Error? | Stellar to know other possible solutions to fix the issue.